Objectives and competences

Student: • presents manipulatives used in early childhood mathematics, illustrates the use of individual manipulatives and highlights their peculiarities • argues the choice of an manipulative for a given problem situation, • explains student-centered use of manipulatives in early learning and teaching mathematics, • compares the pros and cons of using concrete and virtual manipulatives in early learning and teaching math.

Content (Syllabus outline)

• Perspectives of different pedagogies on mathematical manipulatives. Mathematical manipulatives in Montessori pedagogy. • Modelling mathematical concepts. Basic concepts of mathematical modelling. Examples of modelling basic mathematical situations (number, patterns, geometrical shapes and transformations). • Manipulatives. Types of representations. Examples of concrete and virtual manipulatives. • Manipulatives for developing arithmetic and pre-algebraic concepts. Five and ten frame, Dienes cubes, Cuisenaire cubes, pattern blocks. • Manipulatives for developing geometrical and measurement concepts. 3D and 2D models, instruments for measuring with constant nonstandard units.

Learning and teaching methods

• Interactive lectures, • lab work, • cooperative learning, • (self)reflection, • project work.

Intended learning outcomes - knowledge and understanding

• explains the process of modelling early mathematical concepts, • compares different concrete materials for representing early mathematical concepts, • gives examples of different enactive representations of early mathematical concepts, • applies manipulatives in early mathematics learning, • critically argues the selection and use of new technologies in the early learning and teaching of mathematics.

Intended learning outcomes - transferable/key skills and other attributes

Readings

- Sophian, C. (2007). The origins of mathematical knowledge in childhood. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. - Lipovec, A., & Antolin Drešar, D. (2019). Matematika v predšolskem obdobju (1. izd.). Univerzitetna založba Univerze v Mariboru. http://press.um.si/index.php/ump/catalog/book/379, https://www.dlib.si/stream/URN:NBN:SI:DOC-9YIVXHGM/6b7d8c70-0cfa-40df-a055-ce6c07014db9/PDF - Lipovec, A., & Antolin Drešar, D. (2014). Cuisenairove paličice (rodke) – znan, neznan pripomoček v predšolski matematiki. Vzgojiteljica: revija za dobro prakso v vrtcih, 16(2), 6–8.

Prerequisits

Both parts of examination must be assessed (more or the same 50%).